Butte County, California Demographics 2026

Demographic data: ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates. Sources and methodology

Butte County, California has a population of 207,929, the 28th most populous county in California. The median household income is $67,928 and the median home value is $424,700. The poverty rate is 19.3%.

Butte County Quick Facts

Population 207,929

Median Household Income $67,92890% MOE ±$2,444

Median Home Value $424,70090% MOE ±$6,679

Poverty Rate 19.3%90% MOE ±0.9 pts

Unemployment Rate 7.5%90% MOE ±0.7 pts

Median Age 36.2 years90% MOE ±0.3 years

Homeownership Rate 57.3%90% MOE ±1.0 pts

Affordability Ratio 6.3x

Bachelor's Degree+ 31.9%90% MOE ±1.2 pts

Adults 25+ with high school education or higher 90.6%

Cities/Places 30

Population 207,929 28th of 58

Median Income $67,928 31% lower than state

Poverty Rate 19.3%

Unemployment 7.5%

How Butte County Changed

Change from the non-overlapping 2015–2019 ACS period to 2020–2024. Earlier dollar figures are adjusted to 2024 dollars; changes marked “no clear change” are within the combined 90% margins of error.

Metric	2015–2019	2020–2024	Change
Population	225,817	207,929	-7.9%
Median household income	$64,658	$67,928	+5.1%
Median home value¹	$334,383	$424,700	+27.0%
Median gross rent	$1,305	$1,414	+8.4%

¹ The Census Bureau changed its home-value inflation adjustment beginning with the 2022 ACS; interpret that comparison with additional caution.

Median Household Income

Butte

$67,928

$99,122

National

$80,734

Median Home Value

Butte

$424,700

$734,700

National

$332,700

Economy & Housing

Household Income Distribution

Under $25K 19.2%

$25K-$50K 19.4%

$50K-$100K 27.4%

$100K+ 34.0%

Detailed income brackets

Under $10K

6.0%

$10K-$15K

3.8%

$15K-$20K

4.7%

$20K-$25K

4.8%

$25K-$30K

4.1%

$30K-$35K

4.4%

$35K-$40K

3.5%

$40K-$45K

4.1%

$45K-$50K

3.3%

$50K-$60K

6.6%

$60K-$75K

8.6%

$75K-$100K

12.2%

$100K-$125K

9.5%

$125K-$150K

6.0%

$150K-$200K

8.1%

$200K+

10.4%

Employment

7.5% Unemployment Rate State: 6.6%|National: 5.2%

59.2% Labor Force Participation

Housing Overview

Owner 57.3%

Renter 42.7%

Affordability Index Expensive

6.3x home value to income ratio

Median gross rent $1,414/mo 25.0% of median household income annually

People & Demographics

Age Distribution

Under 18

20.4%

18-34

27.7%

35-54

22.1%

55-74

22.3%

75+

7.4%

Race & Ethnicity

Diversity Index

Moderate Diversity

Moderate diversity with one or two groups making up the majority.

State average: 70 | National average: 61

Education

Educational Attainment (Adults 25+)

Cities & Places in Butte County

City	Population	Median Income	Poverty	Home Value
Chico	102,188	$66,977	22.7%	$468,100
Oroville	19,752	$52,270	21.4%	$311,600
Oroville East	7,504	$94,512	8.7%	$405,400
Paradise (Butte County)	7,392	$67,687	18.2%	$416,000
Magalia	7,389	$56,920	11.8%	$280,600
Gridley	7,330	$57,974	17.9%	$312,800
Thermalito	6,720	$54,865	20.4%	$254,900
Durham	5,340	$95,417	10.2%	$700,100
Palermo	5,266	$50,588	20.2%	$283,000
South Oroville	2,846	$65,409	33.7%	$261,500
Kelly Ridge	2,825	$54,631	12.3%	$277,600
Biggs	2,307	$84,914	7.3%	$328,400
Forest Ranch	1,915	$131,650	1.5%	$445,800
Butte Valley	1,087	$97,934	31.2%	$462,100
Berry Creek	760	$45,673	37.8%	$249,200
Butte Creek Canyon	713	$105,819	8.3%	$695,300
Bangor	597	$120,347	13.1%	$378,400
Cohasset	573	$79,674	2.3%	$500,000
Clipper Mills	414	N/A	85.8%	N/A
Stirling City	344	N/A	10.5%	$265,100
Honcut	271	$187,742	53.5%	$275,000
Yankee Hill	232	$76,806	6.9%	$534,100
Nord	190	$69,199	0.0%	$369,400
Concow	183	$37,000	16.9%	N/A
Richvale	145	$53,984	15.9%	N/A
Rackerby	138	$62,813	17.4%	$305,000
Robinson Mill	100	N/A	0.0%	N/A
Cherokee	99	$70,815	67.7%	N/A
Forbestown	90	N/A	14.4%	N/A
Butte Meadows	25	N/A	0.0%	N/A

Explore California Rankings

Cities by Population All cities ranked by size Richest Cities Ranked by median income Most Educated By bachelor's degree rate Most Affordable By housing affordability

Population Overview

Butte County is located in California with a total population of 207,929. It is the 28th most populous county out of 58 in California. The county encompasses 30 Census-designated places.

Age Demographics

The median age in Butte County is 36.2 years. This is 4% lower than the state median of 37.9 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Butte County is $67,928. This is 31% lower than the state median of $99,122. It is also 16% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 19.3%. This is 60% higher than the state poverty rate of 12.0%. The unemployment rate is 7.5%. This is 13% higher than the state rate of 6.6%. The median home value is $424,700. Housing costs are 42% lower than the state median of $734,700. The home-value-to-income ratio of 6.3x suggests that housing affordability is a significant concern for many residents. 57.3% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 3% higher than the state average of 55.9%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Butte County is White (non-Hispanic), making up 65.1% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 20.0%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (65.1% vs 33.8%). The Black or African American population (1.7%) is well below the state average of 5.2%. The Hispanic or Latino population (20.0%) is well below the state average of 40.2%. The Asian population (5.5%) is well below the state average of 15.3%.

Education

31.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 14% lower than the state rate of 37.1%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 90.6%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All figures for Butte County come from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates, with comparisons drawn against California and national averages from the same dataset. See our methodology page for how each metric is defined, or data.census.gov for official tables with margins of error.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the population of Butte County, California?

Butte County has a population of 207,929, making it the 28th most populous county in California.

What is the median income in Butte County?

The median household income in Butte County is $67,928 with a poverty rate of 19.3%.

How many cities are in Butte County, California?

Butte County contains 30 Census-designated places.